Feedback:User/Thalanor Thornhale/Sylvary Skill: Dream Vines

Sylvary Skill: Dream Vines
User	Thalanor Thornhale
Categories	Mechanics

Sylvary Skill: Dream Vines

Motivation:

I wanted to come up with a Sylvary skill that fits its philosophy of being born from a life-giving tree. The simple rules set in Conway’s Life nicely fit within the framework of the Sylvary. Emergent properties inherent in rules gives players a sense of discovery (and surprise (?) once they find out that the pattern can change) on how this skill can be used.

Main Game Mechanics To Consider:

A moving area of effect spell that moves according to slightly modified rules of Conway’s Life. The modifier consists of slightly lowering the probability that an offspring that should be produced actually is produced. This is done for balancing reasons. The number of reproductions is also not unlimited. Additionally, the surviving spores do not live on forever but have a limited life time. Character attributes can affect all of the above mentioned modifiers.

General Casting Options:

Option 1: The initial pattern for casting these vines could be in the shape of a glider. Alternative shapes can be considered. This option is easiest to implement as it fits into the general GW2 casting scheme. Emergent properties develop when multiple gliders collide. The draw-back of this option is that emergent properties and interactions with other vines are fairly limited though within the context of the game this might be desirable.

Option 2: As an extension of option 1, the caster can chose from a selection of shapes at the beginning of casting.

Option 3: For X seconds, the path along which the Sylvary runs serves as the initial pattern. After X seconds or after triggering the skill, the initial vine shape starts propagating. I am concerned about this option because it might be slightly awkward to operate and graphically implement. But it does offer the additional benefit of being more flexible, and introduces the concept of path-driven skills. In other words, the shape of the skill is determined by the path of the caster and shapes the effect of the skill which is in-line with the position-based game-lay in GW2.

Option 4: When spell is cast, a grid interface (appropriately stylized to fit the Sylvary culture) serving as some sort of magic book is called up from the ground. I envision a Sylvary kneeling down and onto the floor. The screen zooms onto the magical grid that the Sylvary summons.Player has X seconds, to place Y seeds after which the screen goes back onto the normal position. After X seconds, book sinks into the ground, and the initial pattern is placed in the direction in which the character is looking. This option avoids the awkwardness of option 3. It is the most flexible casting option because number of seeds and/or grid can be adopted to the power level of the spell. It circumvents the potential difficulty of rasterizing a drawn path for seed placement, because seeds themselves can only be put into the raster described above. However, the concern is that this skill might not fit into the general casting scheme of the remaining GW2 skills.

Note: Option 3 and 4 increase the versatility of the skill. It can be used offensively by casting moving patterns (gliders etc.) or defensively (like normal traps). Furthermore, Option 3 and 4 allow for triggered attacks: a moving pattern can be triggered by casting an additional propagating pattern bordering the first. Option 3 allows a player to run towards or through an enemy force and trigger the effects afterwards. Option 4 does not allow the former.

Effect Options:

Option 1: Vines suck the live of players caught within area of the vines and adds a portion of it to the Sylvary. Optionally movement might be very briefly interrupted in some form.

Option 2: Flowering vines release a poisonous cloud of spores that deals damage over time, and dazes players caught within it. Optionally, movements might be very briefly interrupted in some form.

Other consideration for inter-skill interactions:

Vines consist of wood, and as such will burn (or explode?) when set on fire. Burning, of course, destroys the vine. On the other hand, water may somehow strengthen the vine.

Furthermore, vines should only be able to propagate along open paths only. They cannot propagate through obstacles such as trees, rocks etc.

Vines can be hacked.

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